AES SPEAKER SERIES #6
Myanmar - Dawn of a new Era?
A conversation with Dr. Eschborn & Dr. Vermeer
Dr. Norbert Eschborn
Representative of the
Konrad Adenauer Foundation
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Dr. Manuel Vermeer
Co-Founder East Asia Institute, Consultant
May 19, 2020
5 - 6 PM (CEST)
Webinar
Zoom
While Myanmar had been under the rule of the military, known as the Tatmadaw, for a half-century, an opening in the 2010s turned the country into a story of hope for democracy and freedom in Southeast Asia. Nearly 5 years after the landslide win of the National League for Democracy (NLD) in free national election, democracy icon and nobel peace prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi has undertaken reforms in some areas but has not lived up to the high expectations that existed when NLD took office. What are current challenges and future opportunities in Myanmar? How can the ongoing conflicts with the ehtnic minority of Rohingya people be solved? What steps need to be taken to implement good governance? How can international tourism contribute to an opening-up process of the country? And is Myanmar’s dependence on China increasing due to its involvement in Belt & Road Initiative? Those and many more questions on Myanmar’s development will be answered during our AES Speaker Series event.
Find out more and join our public AES Online Speaker Event “Myanmar - Dawn of a new Era?” on Tuesday, May 19 from 5 to 6 PM (CEST) via Zoom.
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We are delighted to welcome Dr. Norbert Eschborn, former representative of Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Myanmar, and Dr. Manuel Vermeer, Co-Founder of East Asia Institute Ludwigshafen and Asia Strategy Consultant, as guest speakers in our AES Speaker Series! Both of them have dealt with Southeast Asia for decades and will talk about current challenges as well as future opportunities in Myanmar. Afterwards, there will be an open Q&A.
Dr. Norbert Eschborn, Designated Representative of Konrad Adenauer Foundation
Former Representative of Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Myanmar
Since August 2019, Dr. Norbert Eschborn has been preparing the opening of the soon-to-be Canada office of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. Until June 2019 Norbert headed the Myanmar office of KAS. Before, he managed the office in Korea in the same function between 2011 and 2015. From 2007 till 2011 he was Head of the Evaluation Division in the European and International Cooperation Department of KAS. Previously, he had an assignment as the Foundation's Representative to Indonesia and East Timor since February 2002. Before, he worked for KAS in Thailand in the same function between 1997 and 2001. He began his career as a journalist and later became a researcher at the Institute of Political Science of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany. His publications include articles and books on development strategies of ASEAN countries, EU-ASEAN relations, the role of the German political foundations in development cooperation, the political system of Thailand as well as aspects of the political and legal reform processes in Thailand and Indonesia.
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Dr. Manuel Vermeer, Owner & Founder Dr. Vermeer Consult
Co-Founder East Asia Institute Ludwigshafen, Advisory Board Member AES
https://www.vermeer-consult.com/
For more than 25 years, Dr. Vermeer consults DAX companies, politicians, and organisations on strategic topics in Asia. Besides that, he has published several literature on China & India and has written three crime novels. Further, Manuel is co-founder of the East Asia Institute in Ludwigshafen and has taught at various universities around the globe such as University of St. Gallen (HSG), Shanghai University, and VIT University (India). He is „Senior Advisor Asia“ at Mannheim Business School. Dr. Vermeer is fully proficient in Chinese and formerly acted as interpreter for intergovernmental consultations under former chancellor Helmut Kohl. He holds a sinology degree from University of Heidelberg and a PhD from University of Mainz.